This invention relates to display lighting systems. More particularly, this invention relates to a display lighting system that assembles and installs easily, and provides effective illumination of objects on display.
Many known display lighting systems include lighting units held out either above or below displayed objects by cantilever arms secured to display shelving or a nearby structure, such as a wall. The lighting unit typically includes a light source, ballast, reflector, one or more lampholders, and electrical wiring and connectors. Assembling and installing such lighting systems are often both mechanically and electrically tedious and time consuming, because of numerous parts, fasteners, and electrical connections. Moreover, such lighting systems typically include bare-lamp striplights mounted to a mounting board. The striplights and mounting board are then typically hidden behind a valance board and pass under the cantilever arms. Accordingly, access to electrical wiring and components is cumbersome.
Furthermore, many known display lighting systems ineffectively illuminate objects on display shelving because the light source is typically not set back sufficiently from the shelves. "Setback" is the horizontal distance measured from the outside edge of a shelf to a light source. Sufficient setback permits emitted light to more completely illuminate the vertical faces of displayed objects. Attaining sufficient setback is usually impractical, however, because the obtrusive sizes of the lighting unit, valance, and cantilever arms required to hold the lighting unit and valance add clutter, thus distracting attention away from the displayed objects. One known display lighting system reduced the size of the lighting unit by moving the lamp ballast to one of the supporting arms. However, any benefit provided by the smaller lighting unit was offset by the increased size of the arm. Generally, most display lighting systems reduce the distraction by using lighter (i.e., smaller) arms, which consequently limits the amount of setback possible.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a display lighting system in which luminaires can be easily assembled and installed.
It would also be desirable to provide a display lighting system in which rows of luminaires can be easily wired to a power source with wiring and components that are easily accessible and substantially out of view.
It would further be desirable to provide a display lighting system in which light sources can be sufficiently setback from a display to provide effective illumination with little distraction.